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3 BIPED STRAEGIES
Humanoid robot research and development of active
prosthetic knee joints has made remarkable progress
in the two decades. The biped is taught to walk using
either following the traditional path planning way or
biologically inspired way. Figure 4 shows the ways
the humanoids are being controlled. One might think
if the humanoids algorithms have achieved the
walking control that is very close to human beings
and are very stable, why not use the same algorithm
for the prosthetic knee? For the same question in
mind we ventured into various strategies of
humanoid locomotion.
Various approaches have been followed in studies
around the world for humanoid walking. Figure 4
classifies the humanoid walk in major categories.
Among these most ventured are Central Pattern
Generator (CPG)[12][13][14], Zero Moment Point
(ZMP) tracking [12][15], learning and divide-and-
conquer [16]. Other researchers applied various soft
computing techniques to tackle the humanoid
walking problem. Such a work is done by C. Paul
[17] using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)
sensorimotor technique. Biological similarity and
stability of Neural Oscillators for producing
sustained oscillations has made oscillator based CPG
design, a focal point of various humanoid walking
studies.
3.1 Traditional way of Humanoid
walk
The traditional way of controlling a biped robot is
modelling its kinetics, dynamics and generating
most optimised, stable trajectory for which a robot
can walk. Zero Moment Point ensures the stability of
the inverse pendulum structure of biped while
walking. Since it requires a perfect knowledge of
robot structure, model and its dynamics, these ways
cannot be implemented in prosthesis where the
human beings weight change, walking style, speed
changes and many perturbations.
In respect to humanoid research applied to
prosthesis recently R.Rastogi [19] has worked upon
task oriented stable trajectory generation using ZMP.
3.2 Bio-Inspired Humanoid walk
As the figure 5 displays the human neural system of
walking. These neural algorithms, to a very
simplified extent are implemented in humanoid
walking. Study of CPG using Rayleigh Oscillators
with respect to prosthesis has been explored by
K.Jibran [20]. In humans the EMG signals can be
identified to sense the muscle, nerve signal and
commands. But these signals are weak due to too
many muscles at stump, and hence noisy data. So,
EMG sensor legs are not used commercially yet and
the human CPG is not used to control the prosthetic
leg. Hence as seen in humanoids the CPG system
gets feedback from angles at various joints, we
developed a bipedal locomotion algorithm based on
Central Pattern Generator (CPG).
Our CPG model is composed of four coupled neural
oscillators (NO) to resemble two hip and knee joints.
Feedbacks from sensors placed on hip, knee joints
and environment are used to update it online and use
one of its coupled NO to generate control signal for
prosthetic knee.
For design of CPG the NO developed by Matsuoka
[18] have been modelled which solve the nonlinear
dynamics using first order differential equations
Firgure 5. Human walking system
Traditional Way
Biped Locomotion
Sensorimotor
Reflexes
Bio Inspired
Trajectory
Generation
Zero
Moment
Point
Central
Pattern
Generators
Figure 4. Biped Locomotion
HMCD-
Human
Motion
Data
Capture
given below. The detail work of making CPG can be
found in report by H.Anand [21].
3.2.1 The CPG Based Locomotion
A 5-link biped robot has been modelled for
simulation study of walking in robots. Key
parameters of the biped are given in table 1
The characteristic equations of the mutually
inhibiting neurons in a neural oscillator are as
follows:
Tr*Xi/t = -Xi b*Yi + c w*max(0,Xj)
+ a(i,k)* max(0,X(k))+h*Feed(i) (4)
Ta Yi/t = -Yi + max(0,Xi) (5)
Tr*Xj/t = -Xj b*Yj + c w*max(0,Xi) +
a(i,k)*max(0,X(k))+h*Feed(j) (6)
Ta Yj/t = -Yj + max(0,Xj) (7)
Where Tr and Ta represent the rise time and
adaptation time for neurons and are responsible for
frequency and shape of output of oscillators along
with inter oscillator connection weights. The weights
of connection between oscillators have been kept
constant throughout the simulation. Input c is used to
vary amplitude of joint angles.
Oscillatory sensory feedback Feed(i) and Feed(j)
provides necessary entrainment, hence accounting
for environment change as shown in Fig 6.
Output of the mutually inhibiting neurons in an
oscillator provides the angular change is opposite
directions for symmetrical out of phase oscillations.
The oscillator outputs have been used for computing
joint angles which correspond to extensor and flexor
angles of antagonistic muscles for each joint. This
interconnection of oscillators provides inverse phase
relationships between contralateral and ipsilateral
sides for symmetrical motion. Optimal values of
weights have been carefully chosen through hand
tuning to give acceptable response over a wide range
of frequencies and patterns generated for gait.
Paramters used in CPG design using oscillators are
given in table 2.
Implementation of CPG and Stick diagram
simulations of humanoid biped walking has been
done using MATLAB 6.5. The weights of
connections between oscillators were decided using
hand tuning and remain constant throughout the
simulation. Input to oscillators is used to observe the
variations in the step length, stride length of biped
gait pattern. Time constants have been chosen to
receive optimal results close to human like gait and
also to vary the frequency of walking.
3.2.2 The CPG Result and Discussion
Figure 7 shows the result of our CPG model. As
you can see there is a transient phase at beginning
due to non linearity. In beginning steps the angular
velocity and hence the biped is unstable and then
rapidly stabilizes and synchronises the rhythm
repeats. Yet this approach if successful will be
robust controller for prosthesis which mimics totally
human model of walking.
To implement the same in prosthesis we place the
left knee NO to be real and its output to be used for
controller. The other three NO wiz: Left, right hip
and right knee NO were given only feedback from
an inverse kinematics trajectory of a human being. It
was expected that the system will work fine. But the
results indicated that the CPG remained in transient
phase and was not able to achieve the normal
walking trajectory.
Due to miss match with the feedback to virtual NO
the CPG was restarted every time and hence
remained in transient phase. This algorithm works
TABLE 1
KEY PARAMETERS OF BIPED
Link
1
Link
2
Link
3
Link
4
Link
5
Length
[meters]
0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.5
Mass
[Kg]
7.5 5 7.5 5 30
Figure. 6. Interconnections of oscillators and feedback
connections.
TABLE 2
KEY PARAMTERS OF CPG
Ta Tr b w h
Hip 0.05 0.6 2.69 2.0 0.05
Knee 0.1 1.2 2.69 2.0 0.05
fine with biped robot simulation as shown in figure
8.
Hence we concluded that the hypothesis of using
humanoid biped algorithms which are robust and
stable walking algorithms cannot be used in
prosthesis.
4 DISCUSSION
The present algorithms lack synchronisation and
have lots of instability. There is a need to venture in
biologically adaptive soft algorithms for human
prosthesis in more different way. The present CPG
models used in humanoids which evolved in years of
brain storming by many researchers cannot be used
here. Person requirements are very different from a
humanoid who wants to walk. The user may change
the load, carry back packs, suitcases. The user
wishes to change the style. The algorithm must be
adaptive to adapt to the user specific gait pattern and
its speed.
The user can change its walking speed by either
accelerating the loading response phase, pushing the
ground with more jerks in pre-swing phase or places
the foot at ground before completion of terminal
swing phase. By detection of speed change as soon
as its done we can now make the adaptive controller
which will be user speed adaptive.
At initial contact the KO burst and knee flexion at
loading response is very important to have a natural
gait. Amputees are physiologically afraid of
buckling the knee no matter even if you assure that
the knee wont buckle. Figure 9 shows the angle
variation of an amputee prosthetic leg wearing a C-
Leg. As we can see, the stance flexion is maximum
upto 8 degrees instead of 20 for healthy subjects
walking. The amputee was trained two months on C-
leg but he couldnt overcome the fear of bulking and
falling during stance flexion. So, looking
biologically where nature provides a KO burst to
flex the knee, we can make the algorithm which
forces the user, amputee to flex the knee
automatically at initial contact.
There was a strange observation apart from these
during walking of healthy subjects. As shown in
figure 10 a,b,c; the stance flexion angle has
perturbations in slow and normal walking. And the
graph we refer to, for prosthetic knee control is close
to brisk walking. However the amputee doesnt do
brisk walking and generally walk slowly or with
normal speed. Perhaps one of the factors of stance
instability in present knee controllers is due to
improper reference model of walking. All normal
and standard walking is closer to brisk walk.
To solve this problem we need to go soft computing
Figure 8. Stick Picture for Bipedal walking
simulations (every 0.4s interval) at c=4
Figure 9. Knee angle of an amputee walk
techniques rather then sticking to finite rules and
phase classification. We can digitally filter the
sampled data coming for feedback with kalman filter
and apply fuzzy or Bayesian phase classification to
identify the phases of walking. The work is being
progressed and new soft computing phase classifier
torque control schemes are being ventured as a next
step.
5 CONCLUSION
The new era of intelligent prosthesis has some
drawbacks such as stance instability, walking in
synchronization of both legs and instant detection of
change in speed. Looking closely to biological
human walking we attempt to improve speed
detection by analysing biological walk and also
analysed the stance period closely. This will now
help researchers in making better bio-adaptive
algorithms. In approach to control methodologies
neural architecture and humanoid approach of
walking were tried and found to be insufficient.
Humanoid biped algorithms cannot be implemented
as it is in prosthesis leg. The biological walking
analysis in respect to walking can now be helpful
and we can look towards soft computing techniques
to classify the walking in finer phases and devising
speed adaptive stable algorithms.
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